How to use a Bosch multi tool
Updated: October 2026
You are about to undercut a door frame, or you are fitting the first blade on a Bosch oscillating tool and you want the cut to stay off the plaster. How to use a Bosch multi tool starts before the switch: the battery is off or the lead is unplugged, the blade is tight, and the depth is set. The [Bosch multi tool comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/bosch-multi-tool) is where you check which box actually includes a depth stop. This page is the sequence and the point where you stop. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are about to undercut a door frame, or you are fitting the first blade on a Bosch oscillating tool and you want the cut to stay off the plaster.
You are about to undercut a door frame, or you are fitting the first blade on a Bosch oscillating tool and you want the cut to stay off the plaster. How to use a Bosch multi tool starts before the switch: the battery is off or the lead is unplugged, the blade is tight, and the depth is set. The Bosch multi tool comparison is where you check which box actually includes a depth stop. This page is the sequence and the point where you stop. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Blade change | Depth stop | Power | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Bosch Bosch GOP 18V-34 | Snap-in | Not in the included list | 18 V cordless | 9.6 | about £164.98 | View offer |
| Best value |  Bosch Bosch PMF 220 CE set | MagnetHold | Yes, 4-stage | Corded 220 W | 9.2 | about £103.95 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Bosch Bosch AdvancedMulti 18 | AutoClic | Yes, 4-stage | 18 V cordless | 9.2 | about £71.94 | View offer |
On this page
Make the tool safe before the blade moves
Take the battery off, or unplug the lead, before you touch the accessory. That is the first step on a cordless GOP and on the corded PMF 220 CE set alike. UK mains are 230 V. On the PMF, the plug comes out of the socket. One reviewer left a jammed switch on and switched at the wall. That is a fault, not a method to copy while you change a blade.
All six listings are Starlock-family. OIS blades do not fit. If the blade in your hand is StarlockMax, these six tools do not claim that tier. Put it back. Which mount is which is on the Bosch Starlock blades page.
Fit the accessory so it cannot fall off
On Snap-in, seat the blade until it clicks. UK reviews of the GOP 18V-30 describe a lever that drops the blade clear, which matters because a used blade is hot. Do not grab the teeth. The GOP 18V-34 bullets describe the same fast exchange. One bullet spells it Sanp-in. Practise the click with the battery off.
On MagnetHold, follow the UniversalMulti route: gloves on, Allen key in hand, the magnet holding the blade while you fit the screw, then a check that it is tight. The PMF includes a hex key. Tight means a tug with the tool still dead. One PMF reviewer had a blade lock after a single use so it would not release. That is a stop, not a harder turn of the key. AutoClic on the AdvancedMulti still gets the same tug.
Set the depth for a door frame
Set the depth before the teeth touch the timber. The AdvancedMulti, the UniversalMulti and the PMF include a four-stage depth stop. The three blue bodies do not name one. If the L-BOXX has only a plunge blade, use an offcut of the new floor as a height gauge. Keep the blade flat. Do not rock the tool.
Set the stop, or the offcut, to the flooring thickness plus a small clearance, and check it on a scrap. The mistake is tilting the tool so the teeth climb the plaster once the timber is through.
Cut, then stop
Start the tool before the teeth are buried, then bring it to the frame. Forcing the head heats the blade and makes the cut wander. If a GOP 12V-28 dies under light pressure, as one UK review describes, stop. None of the six listings prints a decibel figure.
Plaster dust is what PMF reviews blame for a stiff switch. If the switch sticks on the first day, stop. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you have 30 days to reject goods that are not of satisfactory quality. Vibration depends on the blade. Bosch's GOP 18V-30 UK page prints 3 m/s² (K 1.5) for a plunge blade and 8.6 m/s² (K 2.9) for a segment blade. The amazon bullet quotes only 3 m/s². Stop, and use a qualified person, if the cut may meet a live cable or a gas pipe, if you are notching a joist, or if the tool smokes. Remove the battery or unplug first. If you have not bought yet, platform choice stays on the buying guide.
Common questions
Do I remove the battery before I change the blade?
Yes. Take the pack off a cordless tool, or unplug the PMF, before you release the blade. Snap-in, AutoClic and MagnetHold all get handled with the tool dead. A hot blade on the GOP 18V-30 is dropped with the lever rather than pulled off by hand, and that only stays safe if the motor cannot start while your fingers are at the mount.
How do I stop the cut going into the plaster?
Set the depth before the teeth touch the frame, and keep the tool flat. On the AdvancedMulti, the UniversalMulti and the PMF, use the four-stage depth stop that is in the included list. On the three blue bodies, which do not list a stop, use an offcut of the new floor as a gauge. Do not rock the head once the timber is through, or the teeth climb the plaster.
Which of these Bosch boxes includes a depth stop?
The AdvancedMulti 18, the UniversalMulti 18V-32 and the PMF 220 CE set. Each included list names a four-stage depth stop. The three blue bodies list one plunge blade and an L-BOXX, and they do not name a depth stop.
Can I use a piece of the new floor as a guide?
Yes. Hold an offcut of the flooring against the frame and keep the blade at that height, flat, without rocking. Festool and SMART describe that geometry for other oscillating tools. It is a method, not a test of these Bosch listings. It is the practical substitute when your box has no depth stop.
When should I stop and call someone?
Stop if you cannot see what is behind the lining and the cut may meet a live cable or a gas pipe, if you are notching a joist, if you are cutting a whole floor rather than a door lining, or if the tool smokes. Remove the battery or unplug the lead before you leave it. An oscillating tool is the wrong way to explore a chased wall.
What if the switch sticks on the first day?
Stop using it. A switch that is stiff with plaster dust, or a GOP 18V-34 slide switch that jams when the tool is new, is not a technique to work around by leaving it on. Satisfactory quality and the 30-day right to reject sit in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Talk to the seller. Do not finish the architrave on a tool you cannot switch off at the handle.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings, checked on 22 October 2026.
- amazon.co.uk listings for the six Bosch multi tools (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Bosch Professional UK, GOP 18V-34 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Bosch Professional UK, GOP 18V-30 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Bosch Professional UK, GOP 12V-28 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Bosch DIY UK, UniversalMulti 18V-32 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Bosch DIY UK, PMF 220 CE (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Bosch Professional UK, AMPShare (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22.10.2026)